Child-killer Kathleen Folbigg's sister speaks out against push for judicial review of case

Kathleen Folbigg's sister speaks out against push for judicial review of case.

7pm TV News NSW

The sister of convicted child killer Kathleen Folbigg has spoken out about fresh legal efforts to free her from jail.

In 2003, Kathleen Folbigg was found guilty of killing her children, 20-day-old Caleb, eight-month-old Patrick, 10-month-old Sarah and 18-month-old Laura, in the NSW Hunter Valley over a 10-year period.

Folbigg's sister Lea Bown has told the ABC the Folbigg children will not rest in peace while the campaign to free their mother continues.

"We're saying that the expert evidence should be reconsidered based on the scientific and medical advances since 2003," Mr McCarthy said.

Mr McCarthy is marshalling fresh expert opinion from around the world to support the application.

"We've approached a number of world-class domestic and international experts in various fields to review the transcript, the evidence that was led at trial by the experts," he said.

The ABC can reveal the legal team has briefed a forensic pathologist to review the children's autopsy reports and a psychologist to review Folbigg's diary entries, which were used in evidence against her.

They have also asked a medical statistician to detail cases around the world where there have been three or more deaths from natural causes in the same family.

The fresh legal action has angered Ms Bown, who says her sister should never be released.

The kids can't rest in peace while there's so much uncertainty and all this garbage going on about her being a lovely person and that she's innocent.

Folbigg's sister Lea Bown

"I think it's wrong. She was found guilty by 12 jurors over a period of seven weeks, the trial went for," she said.

"She was found guilty and she's had two to three tries at trying to get out and have a new trial and it was knocked back.

"It's about the kids. Somebody's got to speak up for the kids. The kids can't rest in peace while there's so much uncertainty and all this garbage going on about her being a lovely person and that she's innocent. You know, somebody's got to speak up."

Ms Bown said when police first told her they suspected her sister of murder, she declared it a witch hunt.

"I went in there both barrels blasting, calling it a witch hunt because I just couldn't believe that anybody could do anything to children," she said.

But over time, Ms Bown says she came to the horrific realisation that the children had all died by their mother's hand.

"It wasn't really until the trial that I started to say yes she's done it and it broke me, I just broke when I really realised that she had done it."

Folbigg has 'gone through too much', supporters say

But one of Folbigg's most loyal supporters, Helen Cummings, says it was Folbigg's mothering that was put on trial.

"A woman is entering her 11th year in prison for the murder of her four children - her four babies - there was no evidence to show she had smothered any of them," Ms Cummings said.